Webbing support for upholstered furniture



May 17, 1938. s. s. BERNSTEIN 2,117,394

WEBBING SUPPORT FOR UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE Filed June 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l ma m May 17, 1938.

s. s. BERNSTEIN 2,117,394

WEBBING SUPPORT FOR UPI-IOLSTERED FURNITURE Filed June 23, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 oooooooooom y a 6 inventor Samuel .5 fiemsfem Patented May 17, 1938 UNTED STATES VVEBBING SUPPORT FOR UPHOLSTE'RED FURNITURE Samuel S. Bernstein, Beverly Hills,Calif.

Application June 23, 1937, Serial No. 149,932

5 Claims.

This invention relates generally to furniture and more particularly to the construction of upholstered furniture in which the seat springs are supported by a farbic sheet secured to the 5 seat frame.

This invention is an improvement over the invention disclosed and claimed in Patent No. 2,673,777, issued to me on March 16, 1937.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide improved yieldable supporting means for the spring supporting fabric sheet used in the seat construction of upholstered furniture whereby the fabric is yieldably supported inwardly of the frame at all times. In this connection it is an 15 object to support the fabric sheet so that the sheet is maintained level when the seat is unoccupied and whereby it is allowed to give somewhat when the seat is occupied.

In order to accomplish this object it is a further object of this invention to provide the chief means of support above the fabric sheet and connected to the frame at points vertically spaced from the bottom thereof but positioned in such a manner that the supporting means willnot in- 25 terfere with the ordinary cushioning springs or with a body occupying the seat. It is also an object to provide secondary support for the fabric sheet in substantially the plane of the sheet whereby the fabric sheet is maintained taut.

30 It is a still further object of this invention to provide means under the fabric sheet which may or may not be attached directly to the frame and to which the flexible supporting means for the fabric sheet may be attached.

35 It is a particular object of this invention to provide a supporting means for the fabric sheet in furniture of the type indicated which is particularly adapted to absorb the initial stress of a body load dropping into the seat and which is 4 adapted to thereafter accommodate itself to the subsequent substantially constant load.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings and the following description. Referring to the drawings which are for illustra- 45 tive purposes only:

Fig. 1 is an inverted plan view showing a chair bottom equipped with one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken in a plane represented by the line 2'--2 of Fig. 1.

50 Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a supporting plate as shown in the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view showing a chair bottom equipped with another form of the in- 55 vention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken in a plane represented by the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a supporting plate as shown in the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an inverted plan view showing a chair bottom equipped with still another form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken in a plane represented by the line 88 of Fig. 7. 10

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral l generally indicated the seat frame of a chair or the like which comprises side rails l2 and I2, a front rail l3 and a rear rail It. The chair is provided with legs it of any 5 suitable type. Reference numeral 16 indicates a flexible spring supporting sheet made of fabric of any suitable material such as burlap or the like. This fabric sheet is secured at three of its marginal edges by tacks i! to the bottom of 20 side rails l2 and I2 and front rail I3.

The fabric sheet supports a coil spring assembly of any conventional type, generally indicated by reference numeral [8. This spring assembly is ordinarily sewed to the fabric sheet and secured to the rails of the frame by means of twine (not shown) and is designed to support a chair base cushion (not shown).

The fabric sheet H6 in the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 is shown spaced away from the rear rail of the frame and is provided at its rear edge with a rod !9 secured thereto in any suitable manner. As a means of keeping the fabric taut, tension springs 20 are mounted on the lower edge of the rear rail I l by means of brackets 2i and securing tacks 22. At their forward ends the springs are hooked about the rod 19 and through the fabric l6. These springs serve to hold the fabric taut and tend to prevent it from assuming a bulging position when the seat is unoccupied.

It was pointed out as a primary object of this invention to provide improved yieldable supporting means for the spring supporting fabric sheet used in the seat construction of upholstered furniture and that the chief means of providing this support was in providing supporting means above the fabric. To carry out this object flexible cables 25 of wire, or flexible metal strap material or any suitable flexible material are provided which are secured at their ends by means of tacks 26 to the upper edges of the front and rear rails l3 and M respectively of the seat frame. Underneath the fabric l6 are supporting plates 21 which are pressed out to provide the eyes 28 at three spaced points. These plates are positioned one beneath each of the cables 25 and in the same longitudinal plane. Connecting the cables 25 and the plates 27 are coil springs 29 which are hooked, one to each of the eyes 28, through the fabric and are attached to the cables 25.

As shown in Fig. 3 the plates 21 are preferably formed with a convex upper surface in order that they will not present sharp edges to the fabric. This eliminates the possibility of the plates cutting through the fabric at their side edges.

With this construction the cables 25 are preferably located between the rows of seat springs, as is shown in Fig. 1 and thereby provide a yieldable support for the fabric sheet. Although there is illustrated three coil springs connecting each cable 25 with each plate 21 it is not an essential feature of this invention that any particular number of springs be used to connect the two elements.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 it has been found advisable to employ a shorter spring connecting the middle of each plate 2? than the springs connecting the ends of each plate 2'! with the respective cables 25. However this construction is not essential to the invention and the springs may be made of any suitable length.

With the construction as shown, when the seat is occupied pressure on the upper portion of the seat supporting spring assembly l8 compresses the spring assembly l8 and depresses the fabric sheet it to some extent. The downward movement of the fabric sheet is yieldably resisted by the flexible cable 25 and tension coil springs 29 connecting it to the plate 21. When the seat is unoccupied the cable 25 and the springs 29 serve to restore the fabric sheet to its normal position as shown in Fig. 2, thus preventing permanent sagging or bulging of the flexible sheet. In this connection the springs 20 cooperate with the supporting structure above the sheet to keep the sheet taut and thereby aid in preventing sagging or bulging of the sheet.

A modified form of supporting means is shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 in which parts similar to those in Fig. 1 bear corresponding reference numerals. In this form of the invention a different type of supporting plate is provided beneath the fabric sheet, which is indicated by reference numeral 32. This plate is attached at one end to the under edge of the front rail l3 by means of tack 33. The supporting plate is also provided with eyes 34 which are pressed from the plate and are similar to the eyes 28 of the plate 21. Near the end of the plate which is attached to the front rail of the seat frame, the plate is provided with an upwardly extending pointed lip 35 which is adapted to abut against the inner side of the front rail [3 and is secured thereto by means of tack 36.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures i, 5 and 6 it has also been found useful to employ the tension springs 28 to hold the fabric sheet taut. In this form of the invention, as an alternative construction, only two springs 29 are shown connecting each of the plates 32 to the respective cables 25 instead of the three connecting spring construction as shown in Fig. 2. However the number of springs employed is optional and it is not intended to limit this invention to any particular number of connecting springs between the various types of plate and the cable 25.

The construction whereby one end of the supporting plates is secured to the bottom of the frame provides a stronger and somewhat stiffer action at the front of the seat.

Referring to Figures '7 and 8, a further form of the invention is shown in which the fabric, here indicated as reference numeral 38, is tacked to the bottom of the frame on all four of its edges by tacks H. In this case supporting plates 39 are employed which extend entirely across the under side of the fabric sheet and are secured to the lower edges of the frame by tacks 40, one at each end. Referring to Fig. 8 it can be seen that at each end these plates have formed thereon upwardly extending pointed lips ll which may be secured to the inner rails of the frame by means of tacks 92. These lips 4! are similar in all respects to the lips 35 of the plates 32 which are particularly illustrated in Fig. 6. Each of the plates is formed with a convex upper surface similar to plates 21 and 32.

In this construction there is also provided a flexible cable 25 above each of the plates 39 and to which each of the plates are respectively connected by means of the tension springs 29 which are hooked through the pressed eye portions 43 in each of the plates 39.

The construction illustrated in Figures '7 and 8 is stronger and more rigid than either of the other forms of the invention and is particularly useful where a strong rugged construction is desired.

In all forms of the invention shown it is to be noted that the cables 25 and springs 29 form yieldable suspension members above the fabric sheet for supporting the fabric, the cables and springs being so arranged that they do not interfere with ihe upper spring supported structure or the seat. It is also to be noted that the placement of the tension springs connecting the cables and supporting plates at a substantial distance inwardly of the frame makes possible the assumption of the body load at points where it is applied. This is a decided advantage over other types of construction.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an article of furniture which includes a frame having flexible spring supporting fabric means connected to the bottom of said frame, means for yieldably supporting said fabric means inwardly of the frame comprising a plate beneath said fabric means, a flexible member above said fabric means having its ends secured to opposite sides of said frame at points vertically spaced from the bottom of said frame, and tension spring means connecting said plate and said flexible member inwardly of said frame.

2. In an article of furniture which includes a frame having a flexible spring supporting member connected to the bottom of said frame, means for yieldably supporting said spring supporting member inwardly of the frame comprising a plate beneath said spring supporting member, said plate having one end secured to the bottom of said frame, a flexible member above said spring supporting member having its ends secured to opposite sides of said frame at points vertically spaced from the bottom of said frame, and tension springs connecting said plate and said flexible member inwardly of said frame at horizontally spaced points.

3. In an article of furniture which includes a frame having a flexible spring supporting member connected to the bottom of said frame, means for yieldably supporting said spring supporting member inwardly of the frame comprising a plate beneath said spring supporting member, said plate extending completely across the under side of said spring supporting member and being secured at its ends to opposite sides of the bottom of said frame, a flexible member above said spring supporting member having its ends secured to opposite sides of said frame at points vertically spaced from the bottom of said frame, and tension springs connecting said plate and said flexible member inwardly of said frame at horizontally spaced points,

4. In an article of furniture, a frame, a fabric sheet secured at three edges to the bottom of said frame and having its rear edge spaced from the rear of said frame, tension spring means connecting said rear edge to the rear of said frame, a spring assembly supported on said sheet, a plate under said sheet, a flexible cable above said sheet having its ends secured to opposite sides of said frame at a substantial distance above the bottom of said frame, and tension spring means connecting said plate and said cable at horizontally spaced points inwardly of said frame.

5. In an article of furniture which includes a frame having a flexible spring supporting member connected to the bottom of said frame, means for yieldably supporting said spring supporting member inwardly of the frame comprising a plate 10 beneath said sheet, the ends of said plate being spaced inwardly from the frame, a flexible member above said spring supporting member having its ends secured to opposite sides of said frame at points vertically spaced from the bottom of 15 said frame, and tension springs connecting said plate and said flexible member inwardly of said frame at horizontally spaced points.

SAMUEL S. BERNSTEIN. 

